If you've managed to stick around all the way through this 3-part series, you'll know it's finally time for the exciting stuff - answering questions. After all, that's what Quora is all about.

I'm not lying when I say this is my absolute favourite part. It's feels AWESOME to have a couple knowledge bombs to drop - know what I mean?

Let's get one thing straight: you're not supposed to answer EVERY possible question that crosses your path. Leave some stuff out there for the other fish to nibble.

Your goal is to find "link-worthy" content. Kick up the content in your answer by a couple of notches. Improve what's already out there. Be THAT person. The improver. The doer. The mover and shaker.

Here are three smart ways to keep track of the questions you actually want to answer:

Scour for information that's missing from available answers. If you can share an original, clear, and therefore superior answer, get in there!

Check if there is anything mentioned in current answers that you can successfully elaborate on. It helps if you have a related tutorial, how-to guide, whitepaper, or similar piece that readers can use to learn more.

Look for outdated information. If you have more recent data to share, go right ahead. New reports, surveys, statistics, and similar documents are always a good shout.

Does Quora Actually Help Generate Traffic?

You might find it a stretch to believe that a simple Q&A social media platform will actually generate enough traffic to make it worth your while.

To set your mind at ease, here are a few examples of how using Quora really can help you with your business endeavours:

Wishpond’s content marketer, Tara Tarbaj, managed to generate 23,000+ views on her Quora answers. She was also able to send over 1100 people to a blog post that was linked to one of her Quora answers.

Charles Chu, a well-known blogger, was able to attract 1.5 million views and 30K newsletter subscribers through Quora answers within one month.

With a little dedication and effort, you could replicate these sorts of results for yourself.

Tips for Answering Quora Questions Successfully

Answering Quora questions isn't rocket science. As always, it's about working smart, not hard. Choose the right questions to answer and make sure to provide valuable information - you don't want to keep repeating the same old shit everyone else is saying. Take every opportunity to stand out from the crowd and you'll soon reap the rewards.

Be the First Person to Answer Questions

Your major aim is to earn tons of views for each answer you give. One of the best ways to achieve this is to be one of the first people to answer a recently asked question.

To make sure you hop on these opportunities early enough, do a search for your primary keyword or question in the Quora search bar (see our previous posts in this series for a refresher on how best to do this). Use the filter menu on the left-hand side to filter by time. Try to find questions published within the last day. Generally speaking, answering questions within a maximum of a week is a good enough approach.

Look for Questions About Your Brand and Competitors

Keep an eye out for questions about your brand. This is a prime opportunity, as people who post questions directly related to your company or services are pretty much in the middle of your sales funnel. They're already acquainted with your service/product offerings and are reaching out to Quora to find out a little more. Use this gap to provide them with the information that will convert them into paying customers.

In the same breath, while you might not find questions that directly mention your brand, you probably will find topics related to your service offerings. Take the time to provide as much information as possible. Include links to resources that will help them discover more. If you have a direct link to your help center, that's a great way to bring them into your company's direct communication loop.

Ask A Question Anonymously, Then Answer It

This might seem like a super sneaky approach. Don’t for a second feel guilty about it - you’re still providing valuable information, after all. Eventually, someone would have asked the question anyway. You’re just speeding things up a bit ;)

Navigate to the Quora homepage and hit the red “Add Question” button at the top right of the page. Type your question in the pop-up. It’s best practice to begin your query with straightforward question words like “What”, “How”, “Why”, etc. Though you’ll probably enjoy almost as much success using works like “Is”, “Can”, “Should I”, and so forth.

Don’t Add Links to Answers Unless You’re Being Strategic About It

Here’s a fact: you’ll piss people off if your answers and links are overly promotional. Just don’t do it.

Whenever you leave links in your answer, you need to have a strategy. Don’t post something unrelated. Don’t have a weird CTA. Don’t constantly link back to your own content. No one on Quora responds well to a shameless self-promoter.

Here are some strategies to consider:

Don’t funnel people towards purchasing your product in a Quora answer. Rather, have them visit your blog, subscribe to your YouTube channel, or sign up for your newsletter. Guide them towards “free” value, and let your website/social platform do the rest.

If you’re going to make the effort to answer a question, do it properly. Make sure to thoroughly address every aspect of the question - leave no stone unturned. At the end, you can ask readers to visit your website or blog for additional resources that expand on the topic.

If your approach is to include multiple links in your answer, you might want to consider linking to other reputable sources before linking back to your own blog or website. You’ll come off as helpful, rather than overly self-promotional.

Newsworthy or Time Sensitive Questions are a Must

It’s worth knowing that trending topics and newsworthy events are a gold mine for Quora growth hackers. Keep an eye out for important events within your industry. Award shows, national holidays, and large-scale conferences are generally a good starting point.

Answering these sorts of questions increases your chances of having your answers appear in Quora’s official social media accounts.

As Always, A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

If you’ve been using social media for a while now, you’ll know one thing for sure: images boost post engagement. That’s all there is to it.

Use free image editing tools, like Canva, to customise stock photos and use these in your Quora answers. Remember that Quora uses the first picture in your post as the cover image. Make sure to use quality images and make them stand out.

If at all relevant, you’ll notice that attaching a photo of a celebrity will boost your click-through rates. The same applies to before and after photos.

Don’t Forget About Mobile Users

More and more people use their mobile phones to search for information. Let’s face it, we live in a world where almost everyone is on the go all the time. Make sure that your answers are optimised for mobile users.

There are a few simple ways to do this:

Limit your paragraphs to 1 - 2 sentences.

Use bullet lists.

Make sure that important phrases and quotes are in bold.

Take Advantage of Content Syndication

Quora is one of the best places to re-syndicate content you’ve created for your own website or blog. Whenever you write a new blog or social media post, check to see if you’re unwittingly answering a question that’s been posted on Quora. If you happen to hit the Q&A jackpot, and your insights are unique and valuable to readers, insert your content without any additional fuss.

This is a totally effortless way to make sure you get the most out of your own content.

make sure you Contribute to Quora Answer Wikis

Much like a Wikipedia page, an Answer Wiki is a type of Quora answer where users consolidate various perspectives, resources, or suggestions into a single answer. You’ll usually find that Answer Wikis are related to questions that bear the following featurs:

Questions with a bundle of similar answers.

Questions with a collection of different answers.

Questions asking for suggestions and/or recommendations.

Generally speaking, Answer Wikis pop up for the most popular or frequently asked questions on Quora. So, you’ll be gaining a fair amount of exposure if you hop on the bandwagon as well.

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If you use it right, Quora can become a veritable goldmine of traffic for your brand.

We’ve shared our tips, now’s your chance to share some of yours.

What are your tips and tricks for using Quora effectively? Let us know and we’ll feature your suggestions in the community!